Syndicate

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Spurious Precision made it 2-for-2 at Saratoga Race Course and stamped himself a leader in the 2-year-old division with a front-running five-length victory in Sunday’s 107th running of the Grade 2, $200,000 Saratoga Special.

An impressive maiden winner at the Spa on July 21, the son of High Cotton came back on short notice and under jockey Alan Garcia simply outran his five rivals in the 6 ½-furlong race. Bounding to the lead out of the gate, Spurious Precision zipped through an opening quarter-mile in 21.35 seconds and a half in 44.02 while under pressure from Southern Honor and Drum Roll, then shook clear in the stretch and cruised under the wire in 1:16.53.

He’s So Fine rallied from last to gain second, with In Harm’s Way another three-quarters of a length back in third.

“He’s the real deal,” said trainer Rick Violette of Spurious Precision, owned by Seth Klarman and William Lawrence. “He put Alan in an impossible spot – he beat the latch. He broke so good, it’s not like you can take back at that point. There was serious pressure every jump of the way. Just watching horses come at him, and they did, he had a lot left. I don’t think we have a horse that has to be on the lead; circumstances kind of dictated it today.”

Sent off as the 3-4 favorite after morning-line choice Shanghai Bobby was scratched with an elevated temperature, Spurious Precision returned $3.50 for a $2 win bet and earned $120,000. His next start, said Violette, will most likely come October 6 at Belmont Park in the Grade 1, $400,000 Foxwoods Champagne followed by the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on November 3 at Santa Anita Park.

“He’s got a serious pump and he’ll go a long way,” said Violette, who may run Klarman and Lawrence’s other juvenile, Carried Interest, in the Grade 2 Three Chimneys Hopeful on September 3 at Saratoga. “I think two turns is well within Spurious Precision’s scope. He’s obviously got plenty of tactical speed, and he’s a pretty good horse to have in the barn.”

Drum Roll, Southern Honor, and Dan the Tin Man completed the order of finish.